HERE'S A SAMPLE OF WHAT A BIRDSVILLE CUP TOUR HAS TO OFFER
SUNSHINE COAST-based BARNEY CAMPBELL has taken a group of up to 30 to the annual Birdsville Cup meeting for the last 15 years – and next month will be no exception.
Barney leads just one of dozens of tours from all parts of Australia to the ‘Holy Grail of Bush Meetings,’ which will be held this year on Friday and Saturday, September 4 and 5.
LETSGOHORSERACING asked Barney to tell us about his trip to Birdsville and here’s his story:
‘THERE is no question that one of the most popular requests that the racing fraternity has is a visit to the annual Birdsville races.
Each year the normally tiny speck on the map, named Birdsville, population 100, near the Queensland-South Australian border suddenly bursts into life as thousands of tourists from all over Australia and from all walks of life invade the scene of one Australia’s icons – the Birdsville races. The races have been held 126 times.
The thousands of people who converge on the town arrive at Birdsville by road and air to get a few days away from their normally chaotic city lifestyle and sample the taste of life in the great Aussie outback. The roads in the area are sandy and really only passable by four-wheel-drive or coaches owing to isolation. If anyone is planning on travelling out by car they can also contact me and I will be only too glad to offer advice etc.
I have taken a group of up to 30 to Birdsville from the Sunshine Coast (in Queensland) for the last 15 years. Our coach is a 52-seater but we limit numbers for comfort reasons.
This adventure to Birdsville is the trip of a lifetime. I have listed our itinerary for this year to give web-site visitors an idea of what’s involved. We had a great time last year but this is shaping as an even bigger and better trip.
Our coach departs the Sunshine Coast and travels only during daylight hours. The coach is air-conditioned and equipped with a toilet. We travel through Caboolture and pick up in various towns.
We depart at 7am on Monday, August 31, from the Sunshine Coat and stay the first night at Roma in a motel on a twin share basis with breakfast included.
On Tuesday, September 1, we leave for Quilpie and attend the Kadangadanga do street party camping overnight. The following day we head to Windorah, stopping off at Coopers Creek, made famous by explorers Burke and Wills. We camp overnight and attend the much-publicised Yabbie races.
On Thursday, September 3, we leave for Birdsville via Betoota where we set up a camp site until Sunday, September 6.
Friday, September 4 is the first day of the races followed by the Cup meeting the next day. During the carnival there is street entertainment, a calcutta and a boxing tent.
On September 6 we leave for Windorah with a stopover at the border before camping the night. The following day we head to Roma via Charleville and Muckadilla and overnight at a Roma motel.
The coach returns to the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday, September 6.
All meals in the camp at Birdsville are supplied but those en route are at the tour party’s own expense. We also supply a free souvenir shirt of the trip.
The cost of our trip is $800 twin share. THERE ARE STILL TWO VACANCIES.'
Inquires: 0418723806 or e-mail - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
EDITORS NOTE: While there are a host of tours to the Birdsville Races we thought it would be interesting to detail one of them. It was our idea to give Barney a free plug. He did not seek it and we appreciate his efforts to supply details of the tour, which sounds fantastic.